The 10 most unusual hotels in Milan

The new concepts of hospitality transform the idea of the hotel holiday: we have sought out the ten most unusual hotels in Milan, where you will experience a special welcome, or feel at home when on holiday.

During the recent Design Week, Unicorn House in Milan made available for a few days a mini-apartment entirely decorated on the theme of the unicorn. The need to escape, the desire for well-being or wanting to feel at home even when on holiday show that the narrative of a hotel stay is undergoing radical change: the new welcoming concepts promise the guest something different and unique at the same time, all aimed at helping the guests to chill.

Milan, Italy’s design capital and renowned tourist venue, fully expresses its enthusiasm for innovation in the hospitality sector: Milanese hotels dedicate the greatest care to elegance and functionality and marry the need to relax with an aesthetic taste.

Are you ready for an unforgettable stay? Here are the ten most unusual hotels in Milan.

1) Room Mate Giulia

A unique setting, striking on first sight. The Room Mate Giulia welcomes its guest to the heart of Milan with pastel tones, combined knowingly with enchanting items of industrial architecture and details of vintage furnishing, all Milanese in origin. The light enveloping the rooms and the lobby exalts the traditional materials used (pink marble, wood, terracotta) and expresses the vision of Milan of artistic genius Patricia Urquiola. The Room Mate Giulia is a boutique hotel with a great personality that reflects the essence of Milan: elegant, dynamic, sparkling and never boring.

2) Nhow Milano

Milan is the city of fashion and design and could not be without a hotel that profits from these two iconic features: situated in the heart of via Tortona and fashioned from an old industrial building, the Nhow is above all a location that alternates exhibitions of works from international artists, and it is for this reason a perfect starting point for those about to explore the creative side of Milan. If the mission of the Nhow is to “seduce and astonish with style”, it can be stated with certainty that the result has been achieved.

3) The Yard

Piazza Ventiquattro Maggio is the hidden location of a jewel among Milan hotels. The Yard is distinguished by a sophisticated ensemble of carpets, soft sofas and items of antiquity; the famous bar, The Doping Club , in the hotel lobby, evokes the idea of a journey and exudes an extremely charming atmosphere. The furniture in each room is just as recherché and is a collection of sporting items - pit-stop gloves, old bowling balls and memorabilia from the personal collection of the hotel’s owner.

4) Hotel Milano Scala

The Hotel Milano Scala evokes the atmosphere of the great theatres of long ago. Milan is famous for style and design, but it is the home of Italian Opera par excellence: the homage to theatrical arts is in every detail in this hotel, for example in the stage sets originating from the Teatro della Scala which decorate the walls of the rooms. Close your eyes and imagine you are backstage in a theatre; then open them again and enjoy the view of the roofs of the Brera quarter. The Milano Scala is a unique hotel which surely merits a mention among the most unusual hotels in Milan.

5) Ostello Bello

It is not by chance that a hostel figures among the most unique hotels in Milan: the “Ostello Bello” chain, with two sites in Milan, was indeed judged to be the “best hostel chain worldwide” at the 2019 Hoscars, with its motto “This house is not a hotel. It’s much more than a hotel”. A relaxed and youthful welcome, second-hand but sensitively curated and colourful furniture, and a great hum of activity make both the guests and the folk who pass by to have a read, maybe a drink or play a bit of music feel at home.

6) Château Monfort

In the Château Monfort you wake up in the gentleness of the romantic decorations and fall asleep cradled by the star-studded vault of the twinkling details in the rooms. Thanks to the stage-crafted installations that recall a world of fable, and are inspired by Opera, the atmosphere in this hotel is decidedly evocative. An elegant early-20th century building in Art Nouveau style, the Château Monfort is an ideal refuge for dreamers searching for a special experience.

7) Sina The Gray

This boutique hotel, Sina The Gray features a modern design with an ethnic theme. The rooms are all different and some include a private gymnasium or a Turkish bath; the furniture, often made using exclusive materials, has unique elements, for example hanging beds, roped like swings to the ceiling, and suspended stairs. Exotic and elegant at the same time, the Sina The Gray perfectly blends the need to be amused, the search for well-being and the desire to feel at home.

8) Straf Hotel and Bar

The main characteristic of the Straf is a minimalist vibe with dark and soothing furniture, which spares no effort to produce elegance and functionality. Here the scene-stealers are the recycled and recherché materials - slate, brass, concrete and marble - which are displayed to their full advantage thanks to the colourful works of art adorning the walls. This unique hotel, just a short walk from the Cathedral, is also renowned for its aperitifs, often served with musical accompaniment in the very 1970s-styled bar.

9) Biocity Hotel

Situated in the environs of Milan Centrale station, the Biocity Hotel reflects the green philosophy and reveals a different sensibility. A new concept of a welcome and an idea of well-being in a hotel, that starts from furnishings inspired by nature and continues with a fine breakfast produced from local producers. The structure, simple and modern together, embodies organic values in respect for the planet, using lights with a low environmental impact and powered by renewable energy sources.

10) Magna Pars Suites

It is well known that of all the senses, the sense of smell is central in evoking memories. Last but not least, the ten most interesting hotels in Milan cannot be complete without the Magna Pars, that is, the first “perfume-themed” hotel in Italy. Each of the thirty-nine rooms is dedicated to a different fragrance and is a tribute to the perfume factory that occupied the building prior to its being converted into a hotel. The Magna Pars is the ideal hotel for those looking for a unique stay and, it should be said, will be an experience never to be forgotten.